The Legend of Spyro: Doomsday
by CynderFanForever
Summary: Doomsday is coming. In the final chapter of The Legend of Spyro: Nightfall Trilogy, Spyro has been reunited with Cynder, and now they must face their worst fears together: losing one another. In a race against time, they must stop the sister of the malignant Pink Dragoness Zyla, Malyf, from connecting the three remaining Keys and releasing the Dark Master from his imprisonment.
1. Revelations

**Welcome to the final chapter of _The Legend of Spyro: Nightfall_ trilogy. This story will definitely infuse more emotional moments than even the last one, and promise you, you will love this story, and I won't take so long to finish it. I'll take only the right amount of time it should take me. So have a nice day, and God bless!**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Revelations**

It had been two whole weeks since the whole incident, and it was all still fresh in his mind. Spyro felt tears in his amethyst eyes at the thought. With his mate gone, he felt he would never be whole again. Cynder had been his everything. She was all he wanted, all he needed. But that had been before the event that had changed their lives forever.

It had begun with them being summoned to the Cheetah city of Kasi, where the leader of the Cheetah Village in Avalar was leading an army against a group of enemies whose leader had proven a great challenge to he and Cynder. Zyla had been her name, and she was a monster from Cynder's dark past. Back when Cynder had been corrupted by Malefor, Zyla had been right under her. She'd fought against them hard, and by the end of it, though her army had fallen, she'd succeeded, by kidnapping he and Cynder when they were least expecting it, and when they were at their weakest.

At her castle, Spyro had been able to escape and formulate a plan to rescue Cynder, whom he'd been forced to leave behind due to the danger of the moment. It had resulted in Cynder's torture by Zyla's hand, and when he'd finally gone to save her, the rescue mission had ended horribly, with the castle collapsing due to Terrador's Earth Fury. Spyro was thought dead, and Cynder entered into a depression as a result, nearly dying by Zyla's claws not long after.

Six weeks later, according to Sparx and Terrador, Spyro's funeral was being held when Cynder arrived. After a meltdown in front of the guests, she'd entered the room containing the Pool of Visions, finding that it showed her the fortress she'd occupied while corrupted. She'd traveled there, and that was where everything changed for her, as well as for…Spyro.

As it turned out, he'd been there ever since his supposed death, with Zyla having saved him. She'd corrupted him to kill Cynder, and her plan had nearly succeeded if not for the love Cynder and Spyro had for one another. The two of them had not known of this until after the event, which had traumatized them both. They succeeded in reuniting in the Ruins of Warfang. This was after Spyro had learned of the Parts of Malefor. When Cynder reunited with he and his foster brother, Sparx, they found one of the Parts, which Cynder had destroyed.

The rest of the time they'd spent together was spent in Avalar Valley, where they'd fought against an army of monsters, whom they hadn't known the leader of, and at the Dragon Temple, where they'd spent their time formulating their next move and saying good-bye to Spyro's foster parents.

But during the time in Avalar, Spyro and Cynder had learned that the Parts of Malefor were not actually Parts; they were Keys, and there were five of them…no, four of them, as Cynder had destroyed the one in the Ruins of Warfang.

After saying good-bye to Spyro and Sparx's parents, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx had set out to her abandoned fortress, which Cynder had seen in the Pool of Visions. When they arrived, they were confronted by Zyla herself, who revealed everything to them, from how Spyro was alive up to the fact she'd sent the army at them back in the Valley of Avalar.

During the battle that occurred, Zyla had attempted to corrupt Spyro to kill Cynder one last time, ending in her defeat there. The rest of the battle almost ended in Zyla's favor, until the unthinkable happened.

With Cynder having been knocked unconscious by Zyla, Spyro, with Sparx near him, confronted Zyla by his self. Spyro was overpowered by the trained Dragoness, and he was nearly killed, before Cynder came in and saved him from that fate…

…only to tackle Zyla right off the edge of the fortress, into the dark seas below.

Not knowing what he could possibly do, he left the fortress, which crumbled and fell into the sea due to the damage inflicted upon it by the fight between the three Dragons. When Spyro returned to the Dragon Temple, he'd presumed Cynder dead, and entered a depression.

And now, two whole weeks later, here he was.

Though he'd not sunken completely into the depression, he still felt the effects fully. They were worse than ever, and he only knew there had been one person who could have known what exactly it was that he was going through at the moment.

But, as he reminded himself ever so solemnly, Cynder was dead, and he wouldn't see her again until he joined her in Heaven.

At the moment, he sat on the balcony, thinking of everything Cynder had done for him. She'd done so much, and he felt even now that he'd never received the chance to thank her for it. It was thanks to her that he was able to stand where he was now and enjoy the freedom that came as a result of Zyla's death.

But without her, he felt as if he was no longer free. He had never thought he could feel this way. After falling in love with Cynder and revealing just how deep his love for her was, he decided that he would never lose sight of just how free he was.

But now, he believed, he'd lost sight of that. He couldn't see what was coming for him in the future, like he'd thought he'd be able to so many other times before. It was almost strange to think that, years before, Cynder had once been his enemy. But those days were behind him. And they had been behind her when she had died. Though Zyla had been a monster who'd come up from the shadows of her past, Cynder hadn't let that stop her from making the right choice. Her bravery was one of the many things Spyro had admired about her. But he would never get the chance to tell her that again.

He heard the fluttering of wings behind him, and he wondered what was going on behind him. He turned around, and he saw his foster brother Sparx coming up to him. He was visibly saddened, something Spyro wasn't surprised by. Though he had once distrusted Cynder, Sparx had put it all behind him during the last adventure. But now the Dragonfly wished he could tell her just how much Cynder had meant to him. There was no way to do so now.

"What is it you want, Sparx?" Spyro asked in a choked voice, feeling tears in his eyes.

"How do you feel?" Sparx asked, placing a small hand on Spyro's right shoulder. "I know, it's a stupid question. I know you're not fully recovered from all that happened, and I know you most likely never will recover from what happened, but I felt I should just ask that question."

Spyro didn't say anything back. He didn't feel like doing so. He turned around and left the balcony, taking one last look at the stars before him. The night was lit well, and it reminded him of the night after he'd defeated Cynder and turned her back to her normal self so many years ago, when he'd gone to the balcony, and she'd found him there. Remembering that moment almost caused him to smile, but thinking of Cynder was just as painful to him as losing her. He couldn't deal with it any longer. He felt that he needed answers to all his questions, and he knew there was only one person who could help him with that. Or Dragon.

The Chronicler was an old, somewhat wise Dragon who had given Spyro information on the Night of Eternal Darkness, Gaul the Ape King, the Well of Souls, Malefor, and his and Cynder's destinies. Spyro hadn't agreed with him on his idea that Cynder would return to Malefor's side. He'd gone to the Well of Souls to rescue her after she was kidnapped by Gaul. Despite not having followed the Chronicler's instructions, he'd heeded the old Dragon's words ("Ride out this storm, and live to fight another day"), encasing himself, Cynder, and Sparx in a crystal for three years. He hadn't seen the Chronicler since their escape from the Catacombs, where he'd helped Spyro and Cynder to regain their Elemental abilities.

Spyro believed he would be able to get something out of the Chronicler. But he remembered the long journey to the White Isle. However, despite his depression, he'd slept for a long time during the two weeks, seeing that as a remedy to his depression. Though it hadn't worked as well as he'd hoped it would, he felt well-rested at the moment. All he had to do was reveal to Terrador where he was going. He just hoped the Earth Guardian would agree with him. Terrador hadn't been the most trustful towards Spyro and Cynder during their quest to defeat Zyla, though Spyro hoped things had changed somewhat since then.

When Spyro reached the door leading into the Pool of Visions, it opened for him automatically, allowing him entrance. Sparx followed him inside, where Spyro found Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer standing around the Pool of Visions. Spyro could tell they had been speaking of something, most likely of him and his current state after Cynder's death, only to hush themselves up just as he and Sparx entered the room. Spyro understood they were only being careful, not wishing to hurt him, and Spyro understood, but he felt he deserved to be included in whatever they were talking about, even it had to do with something they didn't wish for him to hear.

"Spyro," Terrador greeted gruffly. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Spyro lied. "It's still hard, as you understand. But I've been pulling through. I just wish she was still here with me. Without her, I feel as if I'm only half-here."

Terrador still didn't quite understand love the way Spyro (and once Cynder) did, but he understood their love for one another had been very deep, and he respected that. He felt as if he should speak, but then thought it best he remained silent. He'd gone through this before, only to be yelled at by Cynder, who, after Spyro's supposed death, had quickly become angry at Terrador, whom she'd believed to be one of the two main reasons for her mate's death, along with Zyla. But now that was over, and now it was Cynder who had died. But Spyro wasn't like Cynder as much in that respect. But that didn't mean he didn't wish to be careful so he didn't say the wrong thing, knowing full well the consequences that could come about with that.

"We are truly sorry for your loss, Spyro," Volteer rasped. He still sounded quite tired, a side-effect of the war with Malefor. "We wish we could help you more, but we aren't as well-versed in mourning."

"I understand, Volteer," Spyro said. "Cynder and I have gone through more than any of you are expected to go through. She went through almost the same exact situation as I am now, and I wonder how she was able to do it for so much longer than I. I'm having so much trouble with this, and I wonder sometimes how I can move on. But I know she would want me to."

Terrador nodded. "Do you have any plans for the days to come?" he asked. "Do you plan to return to your home in the Valley of Avalar, or do you plan to remain here at the Temple?"

"I'll be staying here for the time-being," Spyro answered. "But I plan to go to the White Isle soon, so I can speak with the Chronicler. I believe he might be able to help me understand more about what I am going through. He might not have been the most trustworthy during the Night of Eternal Darkness, but I still think he might be able to help me again."

Sparx came in front of him and said, "Spyro, don't you realize how insane you sound? That old Dragon told you it was best you remained with him and wait for the Night of Eternal Darkness was over, which would have resulted in Cynder returning to Malefor's side! I don't think you can possibly trust him, especially because of that."

"I know, Sparx, but it's the best bet I have," Spyro explained. "I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about going. You probably don't understand how I mean, but I'm telling you what we have to do. I'm only asking you of this once, and when we return, you can return to living with Mom and Dad if that is your wish, but for the moment, I'm going to the White Isle to make sure Cynder passed on."

Sparx opened his mouth to argue, but Terrador silenced him and said, "Sparx, he's right. You may not be able to trust the Chronicler as much, but that does not mean you cannot see him." He turned to Spyro. "Do what you have to, Spyro. We will remain here for now."

Spyro nodded. "I plan on leaving soon, though I don't know exactly when," he said. "I might try to sleep before I make such a long journey, because I know the journey will take me at least two or more days to make it there. I won't be stopping along the way, which will most likely make me even more tired. Hopefully the Chronicler will show me an easier way back."

Terrador nodded. "I wish you the best of luck," he said. "I am sorry for what has happened to you, Spyro. Your pain is one I shall never be able to comprehend, though there are times I wish I could."

Spyro nodded back, and then left, only to hear Cyril's voice. "Do be careful, young Dragon," he said. "I sense there are dark times coming, and we must be prepared."

Spyro nodded, and left the room. Sparx followed him out, and the Dragonfly said, "What the heck do you think he was talking about?"

"I don't know," Spyro admitted. "The truth is, I don't know about many of the things going on right now. I wish I kept up on current events, but I don't. After Cynder's death…" His voice trailed off for a moment, but then he recovered himself. "After her death, I distanced myself from most of the world. Many are probably wondering where I am, or where Cynder is, and what's happened. Unless Terrador sent a message to Avalar and the other parts of the world, then they most likely don't know all that's happened."

Sparx shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "But I think you should sleep for the moment. I know you've slept for a while since all that's happened, but it's best to conserve your strength one last time before leaving. That journey's going to take a while."

Spyro nodded, and he went outside the Temple, to the balcony. Some memories flooded his mind, mostly events that happened on this balcony, some including Cynder. He sighed and lay down, wishing he could see her again. If she were here, he would be nuzzling her now, getting ready for sleep. But without her…he just didn't know.

He closed his eyes, hoping for peaceful sleep.

 _He saw the fortress again, on fire. It scared him so much. He wondered where Cynder was. He looked around for her, finding that he was once more on top of the fortress. He saw Zyla standing not far from him, laughing, though no sound was coming out. He hated the Pink Dragoness so much. He just wanted to rip her heart out!_

 _But he stopped himself, knowing such thoughts could get him corrupted. He knew she had the ability to do so, having been given the training and power by Malefor to do so._

 _Spyro wouldn't be going down in this battle without a fight. He growled at Zyla, ready to slice into her. He lunged, only to be knocked down again. He tasted blood, and he felt Zyla's claws dig into his chest. He screamed, though once more, no sound came out._

 _Zyla's face came down in front of him, and he saw the burned half of her face. It was cracked, and it almost seemed like the cracks had bled recently. It was something that made Spyro almost a little sick. Zyla leaned in close, growling. Spyro knew it was the end for him._

 _Then he felt Zyla be knocked off him. Spyro got to his feet, noticing Sparx near him. He looked in front of him, seeing it was Cynder who had knocked Zyla off him. But he saw, in the heat of their battle, neither had seen the edge, and they both fell of it. Spyro hurried to the edge and looked down, hoping to find the two Dragonesses, only to find nothing but clouds and smoke. Tears came to his eyes at the loss of Cynder._

 _He heard a screech, the only sound that had come out of the dream, and then he saw Zyla and felt her claws tear through his chest. All went black…_

…and Spyro woke with a gasp. He attempted to push back the tears that formed in his eyes, though it was no use, and he began sobbing. The thought of the loss of his mate was burned forever in his memory, and he believed he would never be able to see her again until he was dead, which he knew would be a long time…unless he killed himself.

Though he knew he would never do such a thing, as Cynder would not agree with such a decision. She would slap him if she knew such a thought had crept into his mind. Spyro understood the reason behind that, but the thought brought another memory to him.

In the Valley of Avalar one night, after being reunited with her, he'd woken to find that Cynder was not near him. He followed her out of the Cheetah Village to find her on a rocky ledge, holding a sharp rock in her injured front right paw—which had been injured as a result of his corrupted form's attack on her—and balancing on her uninjured front left paw. She had attempted to kill herself due to the pain she'd gone through in the recent days, but he'd been able to tell her there was no need, that he was there for her, and that he would never leave her. He'd succeeded, and they'd returned to the Cheetah Village to sleep through the rest of the night.

Spyro pushed the memory back and dried his tears. He knew it was time he left for the White Isle. He looked to Sparx, who was now awake, as well. The Dragonfly looked at him with concern, and Spyro couldn't blame him for that. "Sparx, I don't know if you should come with me," Spyro told him. "It's not that I don't want you with me. It's just…I don't know what I'm going to find when I go there."

"Spyro, I'm coming," Sparx said. "I know, you just told me you don't want me to, but you need a companion to get through this all. I'll do my best not to annoy you during that time, okay?"

Spyro nodded. He was still apprehensive about Sparx coming with him, but he decided there wasn't any point in arguing with him, as it wouldn't help him one bit. Spyro looked back at the Temple's doors, wishing to tell Terrador he was leaving. But he decided against it, knowing Terrador would know where he'd gone.

So Spyro turned around, looking up at the sky, seeing the golden light creeping through the dark clouds and cracking through the inky-blue sky. It reminded him of the morning he'd left for Warfang, where Terrador, the other Guardians, his and Sparx's parents, and the Moles known as Mole-Yair and Exhumor. Just before he'd left, Cynder had come out and hugged him good-bye. He wished for that to happen again, but he knew it wouldn't.

Tears formed once more, and he turned to Sparx. "You ready?" he asked. "Then let's go."

He opened his wings and jumped into the air. He soared off, knowing his way to the White Isle now. He'd studied maps to make sure he would know where to go if he ever had the need to go there again. Hopefully the Chronicler would be able to help him possibly. Though the Chronicler had helped the last time they'd met, he and Spyro had disagreed with one another. He'd told Spyro to leave Cynder behind at the Mountain of Malefor, to ride out the storm and live to fight another day. He heeded the latter words of the Chronicler, but he did not stay behind to allow Cynder to be corrupted by Malefor. His love for her then had been growing stronger by the moment. And at that time, he hadn't even known if she loved him back. If he wasn't so saddened by her death, he would smile at that fact.

Spyro sighed and looked to Sparx, who was close to him. Sparx smiled at him, and Spyro attempted to smile back, though it was impossible to do so at the moment.

As they left, the door leading into the Temple opened. Spyro and Sparx did not hear this, as they were already too far away. But when Terrador stepped out into the morning sunshine, he saw Spyro and smiled grimly. "May the Ancestors look after you."

Hours passed. Spyro noticed this by the sun's position in the sky. The sky wasn't darkening just yet, but the sun was beginning to sink in the western corner of the sky. Soon the Celestial Moons would appear. They had been the countdown for the Night of Eternal Darkness. Spyro remembered that night. He was going to the same location he'd been present at as the last few hours passed. Less than an hour had been left when he finally made it to the Well of Souls to save Cynder and stop Gaul.

He'd succeeded, but he'd killed Gaul cruelly in the corrupted form he called Dark Spyro. He remembered it was a term Cynder had come up with. He sighed as he remembered he'd caused much to happen in that dark form. He'd caused the Mountain to crumble around he, Cynder, and Sparx, only to save them with a Time Crystal. He'd also used such a form to nearly kill Cynder, though he'd been under Zyla's control at the time. He hated himself still for not being able to oppose the control.

 _If only Cynder were still here,_ Spyro thought. _She would be able to understand me and prove me wrong. She did it the right way, and I should have just followed her. It's my fault that she's dead. I allowed Zyla to knock her out and attack me. If she'd stayed by my side…if I'd protected her from Zyla, we could be there at the Temple or in Avalar together. It's all my fault._

Exhaustion was beginning to settle over him, and his wings were starting to feel sore. He sighed, and looked far ahead of him, hoping to find something in front of him. And then he saw it.

The White Isle.

It was an island topped by white snow and dirt. Looking at it made Spyro wonder for some reason. He wondered what the Chronicler would tell him when he entered the Moon Temple.

Spyro looked to Sparx, who looked back at him and said nothing.

He landed on the snow-covered ground. His claws scratched against the ice underneath. Looking in front of him, he found a tunnel, which he hurried through. He saw the doors that led into the Moon Temple, and he hurried toward them. He remembered it hadn't been so easy the last time he'd arrived, but as he made his way toward it, the doors opened automatically, welcoming him as if he were a friend. He looked around, finding himself in a room with five doors, and in the middle was a basin resembling the Pool of Visions. He still remembered all the trials he'd gone through during that night, from confronting four Elemental Spirits to confronting his worst fear: Cynder under the corruption of Malefor.

The other four doors were closed, but the fifth was open. Spyro jumped and glided over the basin and landed on the other side. He walked inside, finding the familiar room full of books on the history of the Dragon Race, candles that smelled of honey and catmint, and another basin. Books lay scattered about on the floor and on shelves.

The door behind him closed, and Spyro turned to look back, wondering why they had closed at first. He heard claws clacking on the stone floor behind him, and a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Young Dragon," it said. "It's been quite some time since we last met one another."

But it was not the voice of the Chronicler that Spyro remembered. He turned round to find himself staring at his old mentor, Ignitus, the Fire Guardian Dragon, who had given his life to save Spyro and Cynder in the Belt of Fire. But now, his scales were no longer fiery-red; instead, they were a light shade of blue.

"Ignitus!" Spyro exclaimed. "You're the new Chronicler? But what happened to the old one?"

"He passed on, giving me his duties and various objects," Ignitus explained. "I expected you to come here, young one," he said. "I've been waiting for you for two weeks."

"How'd you know I'd come?"

"I thought you might want answers," Ignitus explained. He looked over Spyro's shoulder. "Hello, Sparx. It has been long since I last saw you, as well."

"Uh, hi," Sparx said, obviously feeling strange. "It's just really weird to see you here."

"Yes, that is understandable," Ignitus said. "I know you've both gone through much. Especially you, Spyro. The memory of Cynder's plunge off her fortress with Zyla is still fresh in your mind, I'm sure." At Spyro's mystified expression, Ignitus answered, "I record the histories of all the Dragons now, young one. It was unfortunate for me to record such a sad moment."

"I still haven't gotten over it," Spyro admitted. "She was my mate. I loved her with all my heart. Without her, I feel like I have nothing. I know there are others, such as Terrador, Volteer, Cyril, and Sparx, but Cynder meant something more to me."

"Yes, that is understandable. You are probably wondering whether or not Cynder has passed on. You are probably also wondering the same about Zyla, which is only normal. She caused you both much pain and trouble." Spyro nodded. "Well, Spyro, there is something I must show you first. I want you to follow me."

Ignitus turned around and began walking toward the other side of the Moon Temple. There was a door, which opened as soon as Ignitus came near it. Spyro and Sparx entered the room behind it, and they found parts of it were draped in cloth. Candles were lit all around. A bowl full of water was in the middle of the floor.

Spyro wondered what could be in the room that Ignitus wished to show him. And then he heard it.

The sweetest and most beautiful voice he'd ever heard.

"Ignitus, I think I'm fine for the moment. I don't really want anything," said a feminine voice. Spyro saw someone come out of the shadows. They looked up just as Spyro realized who it was, and amethyst met emerald as recognition crossed their faces.

It was Cynder.

There was no sign of an injury on her body, even despite the wounds caused by Zyla in their last battle. Her eyes seemed moist, as if she'd been crying, and Spyro couldn't blame her.

"Spyro," she said.

"Cynder," he said.

They ran to each other and embraced. They'd never believed they would ever meet one another again, but now they were together again.

"Oh my God, you're alive!" Spyro exclaimed. "I missed you so much!"

"I did, too," she replied. "It's so good to see you again! I wanted to see you again so badly!" Sparx flew to her and hugged her neck. Cynder looked down and smiled, gingerly placing her right paw on him. "It's good to see you, too, Sparx," she said.

"How is this possible?" Spyro asked her. "I saw you fall off the top of the fortress with Zyla. I thought for sure you were dead."

"I did, too," Cynder said. "The pain took me over, and I went unconscious just before I hit the sea. When I woke up, I was here, and Ignitus was standing over me."

Spyro turned to Ignitus. But before he could ask a question, Ignitus answered it for him.

"I found her on the beach, unconscious and injured," he said. "I took care of her while she was unconscious. She remained in that state until a week after. The only reason she remained here was for her injuries to heal."

"I wanted to fly back up after I fell, but Zyla broke both my wings," Cynder explained. "I'm so sorry. I should have returned to you so much sooner."

"It's not your fault," Spyro said. "I understand. But what about Zyla? What happened to her?"

"She's dead," Cynder answered. "I stuck my tail blade into her heart, and she broke into millions of pieces afterward. Another one of the Keys of Malefor are gone." She smiled and kissed Spyro. Then she resumed hugging him. "I almost thought I'd never see you again."

"I thought the same," Spyro told her. "It's all my fault. I should've been able to resist the corruption. If it wasn't for me—" Cynder silenced him with a kiss.

"You didn't make a mistake," she said. "It wasn't your fault. I have no lasting damage from that fight, so there's no need for you to worry."

"It's all good to see you two having been reunited," Ignitus said. "I think now is the time I talk to the both of you, however. And you as well, Sparx. Your journey is not over. There is still evil in the world, unfortunately. I've looked over the books to make sure, and I've come to the conclusion that Zyla, in fact, has a younger sister."

"A sister?" Cynder asked. "Wait, I remember she mentioned something about her sister during one of our fights, but I'm unable to remember the name she spoke. But she was serious about that? I was hoping she was just kidding."

"No, unfortunately. Her sister's name is very fitting for a follower of Malefor. Her name is Malyf. She is three years younger than Zyla. I believe you both are going to try to find the other Keys after you leave here, and I have reason to believe Malyf is one of them."

"That would make sense," Sparx said. Everyone looked at him. "Well, it does! If Zyla was a Key, then the fact her sister is one shouldn't come as much of a shock to you."

"True," Spyro said. "But where is Malyf?"

"Last I checked, she was near Warfang," Ignitus said. "She's planning something, I am sure. I believe she knows she's a Key, and she's hoping to use the last three Keys to possibly resurrect Malefor. There is no telling what the other two Keys are, however." He sighed. "Though not as dark as the war against Malefor, these moments are some of the darkest this world has seen." He looked at Spyro and Cynder again, as well as Sparx, and he said, "I believe you two deserve some time alone together now. I shall leave you both to it. Tomorrow, Cynder, you shall be allowed to leave. Both your wings have healed, as have the rest of your injuries."

Cynder nodded happily. Spyro did, as well. Despite what they'd been told about Malyf, Spyro was happy to have his mate back. She was the love of his life, and this time, he would never leave her again.

"Sleep well, the three of you," Ignitus said as he exited the room.

Cynder turned and walked toward a ring of lit candles. "It's the warmest spot in the room," she explained to Spyro and Sparx. She looked to Sparx. "Would you mind sleeping a little farther from us tonight, Sparx?"

"Sure," Sparx said. "I'm just happy to have you back, Cynder. It's been a long time since we last saw you. Yes, I know, it's only been two weeks, but it felt like an eternity."

"Trust me, I know," Cynder said. She lay down, and Spyro did the same, right next to her. She nuzzled him. "I'm so happy I can be with you again. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Spyro said. "You're not leaving my sights again, Cynder. I'll keep you safe and take care of you. I promise you that."

Cynder smiled, and tears formed in her emerald eyes. She cried tears of joy as she hugged him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Spyro returned the hug, and he kissed her forehead. "Without you, I'd have nothing to live for."

They fell asleep, embracing one another. Sparx fell asleep in the ring of lit candles, as well, not far from them. The three of them were happy they were together once more, and they believed nothing could break their bond ever again. Nothing.


	2. She Lives

**Chapter Two: She Lives**

Spyro woke in the morning, feeling warmth throughout his whole body. Looking over, he saw Cynder there. He smiled, remembering that he now had her back. It was something he could not take out of his mind, nor did he want to. Memories of the sorrow her supposed death had caused him flashed back, and he realized he would never be forced to go through such torture ever again. He knew she'd gone through it before, and the fact they'd both gone through it now made him feel their bond was stronger than ever before.

She did not turn around to look at him, but he knew she was still asleep, and he allowed her that luxury. He wondered what she'd gone through while he was gone. She'd known he was still alive, but without him, the time she'd spent at the Celestial Caves had also been sorrow-filled, he was sure.

Cynder finally began stirring, and opened her emerald eyes, staring directly into Spyro's amethyst eyes. She smiled brightly, something Spyro hadn't seen in what seemed like ages. "So it wasn't all a dream," she said. "Thank God. We're together again. Hopefully we don't have to go through anything horrible this time, and we can just live normally."

Spyro stroked her cheek. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Nothing will happen. I may not have kept this promise in the past, but I'm promising you now that I will never let anything happen to you the way it did with Zyla ever again. The madness is over, and we can finally move on the future. I just wonder how Terrador will take everything when we return."

"He'll probably be pretty shocked," Cynder said.

"Do you think you're up for a long journey back?" Spyro asked. "If you don't feel like it, I'll allow you to sleep on my back, or I can hold you in my claws, if you wish."

"I don't think there'll be a need for that. All that matters right now is that we're still here, and there's nothing in the world that could possibly separate us from one another."

"Good morning, you guys," came Sparx's voice from a little farther away. "It's good to know it wasn't a dream that we found you again, Cynder. I would have really been mad about that."

"I would hate that," Cynder said. "But let's not go there. All that matters is that we're together once more." She laughed a little. "It's funny. We did this once, and we were separated yet again. But I'm sure that it won't happen again this time. Promise me that it won't."

"I promise," Spyro whispered to her. "I promise nothing bad will ever happen to you again. We've gone through too much for something more like that to happen. After all we've gone through, it might be hard for you to believe that, but you have to trust me, Cynder."

"I trust you, Spyro."

The doors behind them opened up, and they turned around to see Ignitus—the new Chronicler—coming toward them. He smiled at them, and they smiled back. Spyro still couldn't believe the old Fire Guardian had become the Chronicler. He wasn't used to the change in scale color, either.

"Good morning," he greeted. "It has been a long time since we've woken up in good spirits, I believe. Nearly five years, if my mind still works correctly."

"It's hard to believe it's been that long," Spyro said.

"Yes, but we mustn't spend time on the past," Ignitus said. "This is a new age, I am sure of it. Will you be returning to the Dragon Temple today?"

"I think it would be best to do so," Spyro answered. "Terrador knows I've come here, but if I don't return soon, then he might begin to wonder. I'm not completely sure, but it's possible, I know. I just don't know how he'll react when he sees Cynder. He and the Guardians mourned for her, as well. So I know that when they see she's still alive, they might wonder how it's possible."

"Yes, that's true, but I know you well enough, Spyro, to know you will give them the best explanation. It's not the hardest thing to do, of course. When she fell into the Concurrent Sea, she came here. When she washed up on shore, I found her and took care of her until you arrived. That is all the explanation you might need to give."

Spyro nodded. "I think we might leave soon," he said. He turned to Cynder. "That is, if you're up to it. You, Sparx, and I don't have to leave just yet. We can spend another day here, if you wish to."

"I'd rather go," Cynder said. "I want to meet with everyone else. I want to let them know I'm still around. It might scare some people, but I don't care. All I want to do is return to where all the others I love are still around. While you three are here with me, there are still many others. Your parents, the Guardians, Hunter, Mara…I would love to see them all again."

Spyro smiled. "I understand." He turned to Ignitus. "I think we'll be leaving soon."

"I understand," Ignitus said. "I've always understood you both. You helped us through the darkest of times, and I thank you for all you've done. I've never done right by either of you, but I will say my greatest achievement was having faith in you both. And Sparx, as well."

The trio smiled brightly. "Thank you, Ignitus," Cynder said after a few moments. "That means a lot to us."

Ignitus left the room, leaving the trio to talk amongst themselves.

"So what should we do when we get back?" Sparx asked. "I think going to see Mom and Dad would be the best thing to do. After I broke the news to them, they were very distraught over your death, Cynder. It would warm them if they saw you again."

"I think going there would be the best idea, but we first have to talk with Terrador. We need to think of what we should say to him," Cynder said. "He might be really wondering how in the name of God I'm still alive, and I can't blame him. I know that telling him the complete truth wouldn't be the worst idea, but there's a chance he won't truly believe us. He's gone through so much of that, especially after your supposed death, Spyro."

"I understand," Spyro replied. "But just because Terrador is no Ignitus doesn't mean he won't believe us. He's smart, he's a good listener. He'll understand what we're meaning to say,"

Cynder nodded. She began to think. _The world turns in mysterious ways. There are times when we don't know what we'll wake up to in the morning. Like right now, I never thought I would have woken up to see Spyro again. When I tackled Zyla right off the fortress, I was sure I was dead. But I think God has something good in store for me. He wouldn't have allowed me to live if that wasn't true. I've got a Guardian Angel somewhere above me._ Then she looked to Spyro. _Well, maybe my Guardian Angel is here, right now._

She hugged Spyro hard. "Is it time?"

"Yes," he said. "Let's go."

They got up, and along with Sparx, entered the main room with the Pool of Visions there in the middle. Ignitus stood over it. He was peering into it. He was obviously concentrating on one specific Vision, though neither Spyro, Cynder, or Sparx could tell exactly what it was when they walked up to him. Even though Cynder could look see such Visions, she could not do so when it came to that Pool, which surprised her.

"Do you see anything, Ignitus?" Spyro asked.

"Yes," Ignitus replied. "There are many things troubling me. It seems Malefor's army is rising again. There are still followers of his, though I am not sure who might be leading them. But I have a guess. I believe it might be Zyla's sister Malyf."

"Hopefully she's not as bad as Zyla," Cynder said.

"Of that, I cannot be certain," Ignitus said. "Before you go, I have this to say to you. Darkness is coming once more, and the world will need all three of you. I know the feeling of wanting to rest, especially after the battles with Zyla. But you must stay strong. I believe you remember my last words to you two?" He looked to Spyro and Cynder.

Spyro nodded. "'Draw strength from each other, and follow your heart, for it will never fail you.'"

"Yes, and as of right now, I give you those words once more. I believe you will follow them, as you have already. All three of you were like children to me when I was alive, and even now, you three are my children. I could not have asked for better from any of you."

Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were left speechless. They could say nothing, because they were so surprised.

"I do have a portal that should help you on your way back to the Temple," he explained. "It should at least get you halfway there." He walked over to the large hourglass on the other side of the room. He clicked one side three times, and the hourglass moved from its position. Down below was a blue portal that swirled. The swirling vortex sparkled, and it entranced the trio.

But then they found themselves in the middle of the sky. Spyro and Cynder were forced to open their wings quickly before they fell. They heard Ignitus's voice in their minds. "May the Ancestors look after you."

In the distance, the Temple could be seen. Spyro pointed this out, and the trio hurried towards it. They were hoping to get there before Terrador and the other Guardians woke up. They wanted to surprise them. Spyro wondered how exactly they would be taking it.

Soon enough, the Temple was clear in their sights, and Spyro and Cynder landed on the ground. Spyro hugged Cynder again. "It's good to have you back," he said. "To have you here again is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank God for this chance."

"Thank God for you, Spyro," Cynder said. "If it wasn't for you, then—"

Suddenly they were cut short by the sound of the door in front of them opening. Out came Terrador, the Earth Guardian looking tired as he stepped into the sunlight. He still hadn't seen Cynder just yet.

"Spyro, you're back," he said. "Any news…" His voice trailed off as he looked over, and he found Cynder standing there, smiling. "What in the name of God?" he asked. "You're alive? But how?"

"It's a long story," Cynder said. "Maybe if we go back inside, I can tell it to you?"

Terrador nodded, and he was obviously still in shock. Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx couldn't blame him, as they two were surprised by everything that had happened. They now wondered how the other Guardians would react to it all.

When they reached the room containing the Pool of Visions, Terrador entered first. The trio heard the other two Guardians speaking.

"Terrador, is something going on?" Cyril asked groggily. "You seem to be in a rather pleasant mood as of right now. Pray tell, what has you so seemingly excited?"

"Yes, please do tell," Volteer said.

"Well, it's hard to explain," Terrador said, "but there's someone who might be able to tell it all."

Spyro entered, and Cynder knew she would have to wait before she herself entered, as she wanted to keep the surprise going.

"Spyro, you've returned," Cyril said. "Did something good come out of your visit? Has Cynder passed on?"

"Well, yes, and no," Spyro said. "Something good did come out of it, but she didn't pass on."

"Why not?" Volteer asked.

And then Cynder decided it was time for her to show herself to them. When Cyril and Volteer saw her, they both gasped, unable to comprehend what was going on. Neither of them had seen Cynder in two weeks, and they'd believed her dead for that duration of time, so seeing her again was like seeing a ghost before them. They weren't sure what to believe.

"Cynder?" Cyril asked. "How?"

"It's a long story," Cynder said. "I can tell it to you, if you wish?" And after seeing all three Guardians nod, she began. "I believe Spyro told you how I tackled Zyla off the top of the fortress, and how he thought me dead after that, but there was something more that happened below, which neither Spyro nor Sparx could see. When I tackled Zyla, she broke both my wings, which didn't allow me to fly back up, and I succeeded in plunging my tail-blade into her chest. It killed her, and now one of the Keys of Malefor are no more."

"Zyla was a Key?" Terrador asked.

"Yes," Cynder continued. "And now there are only three left. But anyway, I wish I could have flown back up, but as I said, both my wings were broken, and I couldn't do anything after that. The pain was too much for me, in all honesty. I went unconscious, and when I woke, I was shivering, because it was so cold there in the White Isle. But I was found by an old friend." She smiled a little more. "Ignitus."

"Ignitus?" Terrador said.

"Yes, Ignitus," Cynder said. "He's the new Chronicler. He's the one who rescued me from my fate, and I couldn't be more grateful. And then Spyro found me. Even though it took two weeks, I understand the reasoning behind it. After all, I thought he was dead, too."

"But we're together again, and that's all that matters," Spyro said. "I'm just happy it's all over finally. I couldn't take it if it wasn't. With Zyla gone, we only have one more threat left."

"Who?" Terrador asked.

"It turns out, though it's unfortunate, that Zyla has a sister, named Malyf," Cynder explained. "She's out there somewhere, but I don't know where, and I'm scared to know just how evil she is. If she's Zyla's sister, then she could be a lot worse, which I hope isn't the case."

"Be that as it may," Terrador said, "you're back, and that's all that matters as of right now. Let's just hope we never have to go through another event such as your supposed deaths."

Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx nodded.

"So what should we do now?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know about you, but I could use more sleep," Cynder said. "Just for the moment, at least."

"If something comes up, I'll let you both know," Terrador said.

Spyro and Cynder nodded again, and then began walking off.

"It's good to see you again, Cynder," Cyril said.

"Yes, without you, I don't know what we'd do," Volteer said.

"Thank you," Cynder replied, and then she and Spyro walked out of the room. They returned to the balcony. The air around them was crisp and cold, but Spyro remained by Cynder's side so that she did not have to feel it as much.

"What should we do later?" Cynder asked.

"Go and see my parents," Spyro said. "They'd really love to see you, though you will have to explain to them all that happened. They've thought you dead as well."

"Well, soon enough, I'm sure I'll have to explain that to a lot of people. Mara and Hunter would like to know, and we'll have to explain it to them, as you know. But let's just keep our minds off that. I'd rather just sleep, with you by my side. How does that sound?"

"Sounds perfect."

The Dragons lay down, and soon enough, they drifted off to sleep. Sparx came out of the Temple and watched them, and he thought to himself, _This day just couldn't get any better._


	3. The Council of Warfang

**Chapter Three: The Council of Warfang**

The next morning came without any problems in sight. Spyro and Cynder opened their eyes, and Spyro smiled as he thought of the fact she was with him once again. It had been so long since the last they'd been together, and he was glad she would never leave his side again. He would make sure of that this time. While he had made the mistakes in the past, he would be sure to never make any of those mistakes ever again.

"Spyro?" she said softly, looking to him, hoping she was correct in what she was thinking.

"Yes?" he asked her, stroking her cheek. "What is it, Cyn?"

"Thank God it wasn't all a dream," she said. "Sorry, it's just that I felt as if it might have been a dream, and so I just had to make sure." She nuzzled him. "This is probably one of the greatest days of my life. And it's all thanks to you."

"It's a good day to me, as well," Spyro said. "I can't bear to ever lose you again. I don't know what I would do if I was forced to go through such torture again."

"Well, let's not go to that subject," she said to him. "Let's keep our minds on the more positive things that this day has to offer. Why don't we do as you said yesterday? Go and see your parents, I mean. I'm sure they'd love to see us again, don't you?"

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea," came the sudden deep and gruff voice of Terrador, "if we hadn't been called to Warfang today." The two Dragons turned to see the Earth Guardian standing there, a letter in one of his claws. "The Moles have called us there to meet with their Council, and they want us to talk to them about all that has happened. As a result of your supposed death traveling so quickly around, Spyro, and then your sudden return, which was, for a while, unexplained, and had only been explained to the Guardians thus far, they want the explanation of it all. And likely, we'll have to tell them of what happened to you, Cynder."

"Okay, well, that sounds fun," came Sparx's voice from over in a corner. "Let's just hope they don't ask too many questions, or it could get ugly, if you ask me."

"All right, Terrador," Spyro said. "When do we set out?"

"In thirty minutes," the Earth Guardian replied.

And then he walked off. Spyro looked to Cynder, whose eyes were wide with apprehension. The emerald irises shone brightly in the morning sunlight, and it was a truly beautiful sight. "Well, even though we wanted to go visit Mom and Dad," Spyro said, "at least we can all be together right now. Maybe we'll be able to do it tomorrow."

"Maybe," she said.

Something seemed to be bothering her, Spyro noticed, and while he wanted to speak to her about it, he decided it was better if he did not do so. He was going to save any questions about such a subject for later. He knew she still needed to recover from all that had happened. He too had been forced to go through such things already, but she'd gone through it more than once, only due to the fact he had been corrupted by Zyla not long after his supposed death, forcing him to forget for a small while who we were…which had led to his injuring Cynder, an event he still wished to force from his memory.

"So what do you think we'll be doing while we're there?" Sparx asked. "Hopefully nothing dangerous. You two have gone through enough without anyone asking you to do anything for them. The next time you're asked to do something for someone, just tell them no for a change, because it'll really help you. You know that, right?"

Cynder laughed a little. "Yes, Sparx," she said. "We know we can do that, but we'd prefer not to. Helping others is something that we just love to do, even if it means making a sacrifice. We're supposed to do such things, because that's who we are."

"Well, true," Sparx admitted. "Well, I'm going over there for the time-being, if you need me."

When the Dragonfly had gone, Spyro placed his paw on Cynder's shoulder. "Will it be strange for you, going out into the open after being gone for so long?" he asked.

"Maybe a little," Cynder replied. "But there's a lot worse things that could happen." She laughed, and Spyro felt warm as he heard the beautiful laugh.

The clacking of claws reached their ears soon enough, and they turned to find Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer coming toward them. They were all seemingly in better moods than they had been a short while before, and that allowed Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx to know that Cynder's return meant a lot to them.

"Are you ready to leave?" Terrador asked. Spyro nodded, answering for his mate and his foster brother. "Good. But I want you to know, the three of you, that this is serious. They'll likely want an explanation of the events with Zyla, and though I know you want to forget those events, they'll have to know. Do you understand?" This time, the whole trio nodded. "Hopefully we'll learn more of what's going on in the world around us. It's been so long since we were out in the open. After the failed rescue mission and the events after, we didn't feel as if it was good for us to talk to anyone else."

"That's understandable," Spyro said. "But it's over now, and we can get going to Warfang."

"Yes," Terrador agreed. "Let us be off."

As the Earth Dragon opened his massive wings and tore off into the air, the remaining Guardians, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx followed suit. Cynder felt the air moving through the magenta membrane in her wings. She hadn't felt such a feeling in so long, and she was glad she was able to do it in the company of her mate. She looked over to Spyro and smiled brightly at him. He looked over to her and smiled at her.

"How do you feel?" he asked. "It's been a long time since you last flew, hasn't it? Or did Ignitus allow you to fly around the White Isle after your wings healed?"

"He didn't allow me to do so, because he wanted to be careful," Cynder explained. "He felt as if we still had enemies lurking, and he was somewhat right. Though she wasn't around, Zyla's sister is out there. I understand his concern, of course. I was still recovering from all that had happened, so I agreed with him."

Spyro nodded and smiled. That sounded like Ignitus, most certainly. He was seemingly taking it well as the new Chronicler, and Spyro was glad he had been the one to watch over his mate as she recovered from her wounds. He was grateful to the Fire Guardian, who had taught him everything he had needed to know for what had been to come during the war against the Dark Master. It was thanks to Ignitus that he was able to have such a perfect mate with him, for Ignitus had given him the truth about Cynder before his final battle with her. If Ignitus had not told Spyro of her backstory, then he would have finished the Black Dragoness off for good. Though it was a horrid thought, Spyro reminisced that it had all changed, and now he had Cynder as his mate. She was the love of his life, and he would do anything for her. She deserved some good in her life after the last few events that had occurred, including the tragedy that had befallen them several times during their struggles.

"Spyro?" came Cynder's voice. "Are you doing okay? I can see you're thinking, and I just wanted to know if anything might be troubling you."

"No," Spyro said. "Nothing's troubling me. I'm just thinking of how it was thanks to Ignitus that I was able to find you. He's done it twice now, and I'm grateful for what he's done for us."

Cynder smiled at this. "He made everything feel so good when I was feeling down those few weeks after you saved me," she said. "I'm glad our fates allowed us to cross paths with one another. Nothing could ever be better than living my life with you, Spyro. And everyone else I love, of course, but you most of all."

Terrador looked over to the two Dragons and smiled a little. He was happy they had found each other again, and that no more tragedy had befallen them. He hoped no tragedy ever befell them again, but in his mind he thought of the fact Zyla's sister, Malyf, was still out there somewhere. He wanted to know where Malyf might be hiding, but for the moment, he was going to let that go. He wouldn't allow those thoughts to force him into some dark hole from which he would not return for some time.

 _Malyf may be out there, but that does not mean she is unstoppable. When she comes to fight us, if she does so, we will be ready. We have fought against her sister, and while Zyla proved a tremendous challenge, that was only because she caught us off-guard. But we have been forewarned of Malyf, and that makes us ready for whatever she throws at us…when the time comes, of course._

He looked around him, and he found that Volteer and Cyril were speaking softly with one another. He wondered what exactly they were speaking of, but he did not want to fly over to them for the moment, as it seemed it was something only they wished to know. While he respected that, he would make sure to learn later what exactly that were whispering of between themselves.

Spyro and Cynder flew close together for the last stretch of their somewhat long journey, and Sparx flew right above them. The golden Dragonfly did not speak a word, something that surprised the mates. They looked up at him, and Spyro asked, "Sparx, is something wrong with you?"

Sparx looked at him with a strange expression. "What? No. Nothing is wrong with me," he replied. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know," said Spyro. "It's just…you're normally so talkative, but you've been quite silent for some time, and I'm just wondering if you're all right. You understand what I'm saying?"

Sparx sighed. "Yeah, I get that, but I'm just fine," he said. "I'm just thinking of all that's happened. It's all good, of course, because Cynder's back with us. But there are a few other things going on in this strange mind of mine. I don't know what to speak of sometimes, though. So…" He fell silent.

He flew away, and Cynder looked to Spyro. "What the heck is going on with him?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Spyro replied. "But oh well. We've dealt with his strangeness before." He laughed. "It could be worse, of course, but at least he's not buzzing in your ear all the time."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Cynder said. "He's still quite weird, it's going to remain that way for a very long time. He's been weird for so long, but he's still a perfect annoying little brother." She laughed as well, and once more, hearing that beautiful laugh made Spyro smile and feel warm inside.

He kissed her cheek, which made her stop laughing and blush. She was surprised, but she accepted it and continued with her conversation with her mate, though she decided to change the subject not long after because she didn't feel like talking about Sparx was the most fun anymore.

"So, how was everything while I was away?" she asked. And with such a question, Spyro's heartbeat quickened. He was surprised that Cynder would ask such a question. But he decided that it was best he answered. After all, he himself had asked such a question, though it had been towards Sparx, as Cynder had been recovering.

"Well, it wasn't all that eventful without you," Spyro began. "It was hard to live at the Temple without you, because, as you know, I love you with all my heart, and I didn't feel like I could live without you. I spent two weeks without you, and I know it was a little longer for you. But it was painful and hard. I had no idea what would happen next after the first week came and ended. But fortunately, I didn't have to wait too much longer, because I found you real quick. I spent most of my time with Sparx, because I didn't want to face Terrador and the others quite as much as my foster brother." He looked to Sparx with a grateful smile, who looked back at him with the same sort of smile. "I am fortunate to have found you so quickly, because it was getting way too hard for me to continue on. I know I could have, but it was painful." As he finished, Cynder looked over and found tears in her mate's eyes.

"It's my fault," she told him. "I should come back sooner. But the good thing is, we're together again, and there's nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_ , that could drive a wedge between us. I love you with all my heart, and I know you love me. We're inseparable."

Spyro smiled at this. "You're right," he said. "I don't know why these things take such a toll on us. I guess we're just so connected to some people that…it's hard when we think our relationship with them has been severed in some way. That means death, separation, or…or…" He was searching for the right word, not knowing how he was supposed to put it. But then he found it, and though he hated to say it, he did anyway. "Or corruption." He cleared his throat and fell silent once again. He turned his head away from Cynder, who stared at him.

"That one memory is burned into your memory, isn't it?" she asked softly, referring to the dark reunion that had occurred at her fortress a while before they fought Zyla, where Cynder had found Spyro in his corrupted form, only for him to attack her.

At this, he nodded, and Cynder sighed. "I understand," she told him. "That memory is burned into my memory, too. As is the memory of myself attacking you. I hate thinking of those memories, but they're a part of who we are, and there's no way in which we can change them. If there was a way to change our memories, then we'd be changing who we are, which is one of the worst things we could ever do. Those mistakes may stay with us, but we can learn how to get past it. You have to realize that despite the bad that comes out of something, there is always something good that will come later. Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. Just remember that, Spyro."

When she finished, she breathed out, happy she'd been able to get that all out of her. She looked over to Spyro again and found him staring at her in awe. She smiled.

"You're right," he said. "I've been dwelling on the past, and though it hurts me, I know I can get through it. I guess some of Ignitus's wisdom rubbed off on you." He laughed. "It's amazing, all that's happened. We've changed so much as a result of it, and yet, we're back to normal now. Well, normal isn't the term to use, actually, because I don't think we could ever be normal again. But we're back at a place where we don't have to worry quite as much. I'm not saying that we don't have to worry at all, but it seems as if that worry is fading away."

"It does seem like that," acknowledged Cynder. She looked ahead of her, and she gasped in amazement. "It's been so long since we were last here," she said. "And that last time was only a short visit."

Spyro nodded, remembering the visit she was speaking of. After his unfortunate, accidental injuring of her, he started his journey to find the Keys (then believed to be Parts). He'd stayed there for one night before heading into the Ruins of Warfang. While in there, he and Sparx had a reunion with Cynder, who accompanied them for the rest of the journey until their return to the Temple. She had only been there for a few hours, at the most, while Spyro had spent the night in the Dragon City the day before their reunion.

But now they were back, and everything felt different. Though he believed every citizen present now believed he was alive once more, he was unsure if any of them believed Cynder to have died after the battle with Zyla. He was unsure if that information had been somehow passed on.

"We have to land," Terrador said to them. "Let's go!"

Spyro and Cynder followed the three Guardians, with Sparx between them. As they flew over the lake near the Dragon City, it became clear that someone was waiting for them. It looked to be a group of Moles, though there was another race there.

The two Cheetahs were easily recognized by Spyro and Cynder, as well as Sparx. Hunter and Mara smiled at them both, though Cynder could see they were somewhat surprised by her appearance, and she wondered if they had learned of her supposed death. She leaned over to Spyro and whispered the question to him. When she finished, Spyro turned to her.

"They do know," he replied. "But only because it seemed that at the time, they deserved to. They've remained our allies for so long, and we needed someone to confide the information in. But don't worry, it won't be too strange for very long. We'll tell them all that's happened, and they'll understand. It's like last time."

Cynder nodded. After leaving Warfang the last time, they'd gone to Avalar, into the Valley, where they visited the Cheetah Village, meeting with Hunter and Mara, who had believed Spyro dead at the time. Not long after their arrival, however, an army led by Zyla, who remained hidden, arrived. The army had been defeated easily by Spyro and Cynder, though Cynder had been knocked unconscious for a short time by a Mountain Troll.

As they landed, Mara waved. "Greetings, Terrador," she said, "Cyril, Volteer, Sparx, Spyro, and last but most certainly not least, Cynder. It has been quite some time since our last meeting, and I would like to learn more of what has transpired since that meeting."

"Yes," said Hunter. "I would, as well, though it is fine if you wish to do so in front of the Council."

"We will tell you of what's happened, but for the time-being, I would rather get behind closed doors," Terrador said. "We don't want any of this information reaching the ears of those who do not deserve to know it."

"Fair enough," came the voice of one of the Moles. "Hello there, Guardians, Spyro, Cynder. My name is Aden, and I am the High Council Leader. If you will follow me, I will show you where our meeting shall take place. Now, if I remember correctly, Spyro, the last time you paid a visit, you went down into the Ruins, am I correct?" Spyro nodded. "Ah, just making sure. And, er, was there anyone else there with you?"

"Cynder and Sparx," Spyro replied. "Sparx was already with me, and Cynder came a little later, and they both left with me when I took leave from the Ruins and Warfang."

Aden nodded, and they continued down the cobblestone streets. Many of the bystanders turned to look at them, murmuring amongst themselves. Many of them cheered, as they remembered it had been they who had saved the Dragon City from the forces of Malefor and the Golem, a fiery creature that had followed Spyro and Cynder from the Catacombs near the Valley of Avalar.

They turned a few more corners. During this time, Sparx looked around and felt amazed by the beauty of the architecture, something he had never really taken the time to notice during their first and second visits due to the urgency of the current matters at the time.

The buildings were either made of a white-gray stone, or a gold-colored stone, the latter of which shone brightly in the sunlight, which reflected off it. Many of the buildings were windowless, but some had windows. Sparx whistled as he looked around at the great architecture, all built by the Dragons themselves before Malefor's fall from grace, in which he had caused many of the Dragons to die in battle.

They finally reached a large white building, which seemed to be a courthouse. Aden held open the door, and Mara entered first, followed by Hunter, then the group of Moles Spyro and Cynder took to be the other members of the Council, then the Guardians, Terrador going first, Cyril second, and Volteer last; and finally Sparx, Cynder, whom Spyro told it would be better if she entered before him, and Spyro himself.

"Well, we're away from unwelcome ears now," said Aden, sitting at the head of a large and round wooden table. "So I guess we can begin our discussion, if none of you mind. As you must remember, my name is Aden, I am the High Council leader. Let's go around the table and speak our names so that we might know each other better, shall we?" He motioned to the Mole on his right. There were twelve Moles in the Council, including Aden.

Cynder took her seat, where to her right was Spyro and to her left was no one. She awaited her turn to speak her name, which she knew would be coming up very quickly.

"Adela," said the Mole to Aden's right.

"Balfour."

"Baldric."

"Braeden."

"Calla."

"Cameron."

"Camille."

"Dashiell."

"Gregor."

"Yorik."

"Callista."

Then it was the Guardians' turns.

"Terrador," rumbled Terrador. "Earth Guardian, and leader."

"Cyril, Ice Guardian," said Cyril.

"Volteer, Electricity Guardian," said Volteer.

"Hunter, warrior of the Cheetah Tribe of Avalar and advisor to Mara," Hunter said.

"Mara, leader of the Cheetah Tribe of Avalar," Mara said.

"Sparx, foster brother of Spyro the Dragon and fellow savior of the world," Sparx said. For a moment, none of the Moles knew where his voice came from, and then they saw Sparx floating above Spyro's head. Terrador leaned over to Aden and spoke something to him in a whisper. Aden relayed it to the others, explaining that Sparx was their ally.

"Spyro," was all Spyro could say. He did not want to say much else, because he felt it was not right to give himself any titles other than that of his being the last Purple Dragon in existence since Malefor had been defeated once and for all.

And finally, it was Cynder's turn. Cynder did not want to say anything, but she decided it was best she did so, because the meeting would not start until she did. She swallowed a few times and looked to Spyro for support.

"Cynder," she finally said. "Mate to Spyro."

She looked to Spyro, who nodded at her and smiled. Cynder nodded back, and then saw some of the Council whispering about her. At least, that was what she thought they were doing. It made the best sense out of all her ideas on what else they could be speaking of. But in the end, she knew that it was obviously her they were speaking of.

"Well, let us continue," Aden said, overriding the whispers. "We are here to learn of the events that occurred in the last few months. I've heard tell you were believed dead, Spyro, and I think I speak for almost everyone here when I say I want to know exactly why that was, and that if you were 'dead,' how you came back to life, or how you returned."

Spyro looked to Cynder, who nodded at him and smiled, allowing him to know it was okay for him to speak of it all. He knew that a little while before now, she would be unable to bear the story, as it had left such a horrible imprint upon their lives.

But he knew now that it was all right.

"Well," he began. "It's a long story, and it will be hard for me to tell you, but I'll go ahead and give you all that I know. But, of course, I will be receiving help from my mate during some points." He looked again to Cynder, who nodded, understanding what he was doing. "It began a while ago, when Cynder and I lived in the Valley of Avalar, not far from the Cheetah Village where Hunter and Mara live. Back then, the leader was Prowlus, who had gone off to the Cheetah city Kasi. We decided to go, as well, to help him in that battle, and when we arrived, we were reunited with the Guardians, as well as Prowlus. The day after we arrived, however, we were forced into the battle. It was long and arduous, but we were doing quite well. That was, until a Pink Dragon appeared and attacked us, injuring Terrador. The Pink Dragon confronted Cynder in a burning building and wounded her. I caught Cynder, but the Pink Dragon escaped, and because I was so preoccupied with Cyn, I let her, the Pink Dragon, go."

"Her?" asked Dashiell. "How did you know the Dragon was a female?"

"I'll get to that, because of how obvious it became by the end," Spyro told. "When Cynder came to in the infirmary, we were suddenly attacked, and in that attack, Chief Prowlus died after the Pink Dragoness's flames tore into his body. We fought against her, but Zyla—that was her name, we learned—was too strong. Cynder, Terrador, and I were too tired from the day's fighting, and somehow Zyla had replenished her strength. She knocked all three of us unconscious, and when Cynder and I woke, we found that we were in a castle, which Zyla explained was hers. She taunted us throughout that day, but we were able to find a weakness in her: she couldn't stand the fact Cynder and I loved each other. She called our love for one another nothing more than crap, which it seems most of our enemies have thought, including Malefor. Not long after, she decided to execute me, hoping for her to get power over us, to kill Cynder. She explained she had been under Cynder when Cynder was…under Malefor's control, when he was corrupted."

More whispers broke out amongst the table. Spyro knew that many of them now realized that was where they had heard her name before, if they hadn't been able to remember where they'd heard the name already. Spyro decided to continue.

"The execution was staged the next day, but during that execution, I released a good amount of energy, which destroy the guillotine designed to behead me. Terrador appeared, revealing that he had survived the battle at the infirmary back in Kasi, where he'd been badly injured and Zyla had left him for dead. We were forced to leave Cynder behind, because Zyla was searching for us. It was a horrible mistake I wish we'd never made, but it happened, and there's no going back, unfortunately. During the time in which Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, and I planned the rescue mission for her, Cynder was tortured by Zyla, and it's still a horrible thing. When I returned to the castle with the Guardians and found her badly wounded, with a meathook having been forced into her shoulder by Zyla. It was a horrible sight, and even now I still have nightmares of that. What made it even worse was when we were confronted by a group of Zyla's soldiers, and though we took them all out, it left Cynder without much energy, and what was even worse was the fact Zyla appeared to us not long after. We were forced to fight her, and by the end of it, though Zyla was badly wounded, having half her face burnt, Cynder was wounded even worse. The rescue mission ended in both failure and success.

"Before I infiltrated the castle, the Guardians and I met with Hunter and Mara, who had just recently taken over the role of Chief for the Cheetah Village, and they fought against soldiers Zyla sent to stop them from getting into the castle. During that time, Hunter was wounded, and to stop the soldiers from getting anywhere close to them, Terrador released an Earth Fury, which worked in their favor, but worked against ours—mine and Cynder's. The Fury hit the castle, causing it to crumble. I was fortunately able to get Cynder out of the castle before it completely collapsed, but it did so on top of me, and I was believed dead not long after by everyone present."

"I was horribly distraught by this," Cynder said, coming into the conversation for the first time. "I blamed it all on Terrador, though I knew Zyla had something to do with it. She appeared not very long after, and I was furious at the fact she had survived, while I thought Spyro dead. There was something else there, but I won't reveal that until later. After releasing all my rage at Terrador, I took leave from that site, and despite my injuries, I began my hunt for Zyla, wanting to kill her for all the pain she'd caused me. But when I finally found her, it didn't work as I'd wanted it to. The fight began, and I didn't start out with the upper hand, nor did I get to that point. Zyla beat me continuously, and by the end of it, as she taunted me about Spyro's 'death,' she took me in her jaws by my neck and shook me. She left me for dead, or so I believed. Fortunately, Terrador had come looking for me, and he was able to save me. In the end, however, I continued my rage at him when I woke, and I left the Temple not very long after. When I returned to the cave, I sobbed for so long, and I began to become very withdrawn. I didn't return to the outside world for such a long time that I lost track of the days. I only left the cave to eat and get water, so that I wouldn't starve, but there were days I would go without either. I began to lose weight, and it wasn't good for me, because you can see right now that I'm skinny enough. But soon, my ribs could be seen through the skin on my sides. You can also see that my black scales have a violet hue to them. My scales became a lighter color, and they were more violet than ever. It took a toll on me, and I didn't think I would recover. Then one night, I left the cave again, and I overheard from one of the Cheetah warriors that Hunter and Mara were meaning to attend a funeral, and I could only guess there was one funeral they would possibly attend, and there was only one place I could think of it being held at. So I decided to go. I knew it would likely surprise those attending, especially the Guardians. When I arrived at the funeral, I found that while Hunter and Mara had been unable to make it, there were others, including Spyro's foster parents and brother, the latter of whom is Sparx right here—" she pointed to Sparx "—as well as two Moles that Spyro saved at least twice. I was bombarded with questions, and when I was bombarded, I couldn't take it. I broke into tears, and I ran off into the room that contained the Pool of Visions, where I found something that meant a good amount, and I'm glad that it did. I saw, in the Pool, the fortress I had once occupied in the realm of Concurrent Skies."

"You occupied a fortress?" asked Calla, eyeing Cynder strangely.

"Yes. As you know, I was once under the control of Malefor, and during that time, I lived at a fortress in Concurrent Skies. It was where Spyro first fought me, just before he returned me to this form, which is my true form, just so you know." At this, Calla quieted. Cynder could tell the female Mole was very skeptical, and while she understood, she was happy she had been able to shut her up.

"When I saw the fortress," Cynder continued, "I decided to go there, hoping to find some answers, even though I thought at the time that any questions I possibly had would never be answered. But, after an argument with Terrador, I left the Temple and flew as fast as I could to my fortress, though it took a lot out of me. When I arrived, I saw a burst of fire at the top, and though it took even more of my energy out of me, I continued on, hoping I'd find something. And I did. But…it wasn't what I expected, nor did it turn it how I wanted it to."

She looked to Spyro, who took over for her, deciding that he should be the one to give them the rest of the information, as there were some things Spyro knew better than Cynder.

"When she found me, I was in my corrupted form. I received that form at the Well of Souls during a battle with the Ape King Gaul, when I was stuck in a beam during the eclipse of the Celestial Moons on the Night of Eternal Darkness. I've only gone into that form twice more since that time, once during our journey to end Malefor, in the Burned Lands, and there at the fortress that night. When she found me in that form, I attacked her. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I knew that what I was doing was so horribly wrong, but I couldn't stop. She was bleeding by the time she broke me out of it, which she did by telling me she had nothing left without me. So she broke me out of it, and I returned with her to the Temple, where the Guardians took care of her. It was there that I was reunited with Sparx and our parents, as well as Mole-Yair and Exhumor, the two Moles Cynder mentioned earlier. At the time I had no answers for Terrador, who wanted to know what exactly what happened. I could only give a few, which I put together from what I had seen. I was distraught over the fact I'd so badly injured my mate, but she helped me to know that it wasn't my fault, and that there was someone behind it. That began the next part of our journey. The next morning, I left for here, for Warfang. If you want to know the reason behind it, I would be happy to tell you, though you might not fully believe me about it."

"I would like to know," said Aden.

"Well, just before I left, I was told by Terrador that quite possibly there are parts of Malefor left around the Realms, and that might have been what was used to corrupt me. So I decided to go here because he was trained here once by the Elders long ago. And when I entered the Ruins, I learned whether or not I was right. But before that, I was attacked by a Troll that had somehow found its way into the Ruins, or had survived the last time Cynder and I had been down there. The Troll took me off-guard, and while I think I could have taken it down, a blast of Shadow hit it. I didn't know who could have done such a thing at first, until the Troll was dead."

He looked to Cynder, who took over for him.

"It was me. I'd snuck out of the Temple after being able to get the information out of Cyril, which I still feel bad about. But I was able to get one of the Moles to let me down into the Ruins, where I found Spyro being cornered by the Troll. So I helped him by shooting my Shadow Element at it, which killed the creature after a few hits. It might have done so in one hit, but I was too tired to release such energy in my attack."

"You control what kind of Element?" asked Gregor. "Did you say Shadow, or are my ears deceiving me?"

"Yes, I control Shadow," Cynder told him.

"I thought you said so," Gregor said. "Well, that's not possible. There's no such thing as a Shadow Element. You're probably just trying to make yourself sound stronger than you actually are."

Cynder looked around, and she saw a statue a little behind Gregor. She drew upon the energy, and she shot the Shadow out at the statue, which took the head off it. Gregor whirled around to see it happen, and then he turned back to the Black Dragoness, who smiled back at him, happy she'd proven him wrong.

"How is that possible?" Calla inquired.

"It happened when I was corrupted by Malefor. According to the Chronicler, when Spyro and I needed to replenish our strength in the Catacombs near the Valley of Avalar. Due to my exposure to the darkness of corruption, I was gifted with abilities most uncommon. Along with Shadow, I have Poison and Fear. The only normal Elements I possess are Wind, which I believe would be my primary Element if I had not been corrupted, and Fire, which was also given to me by Malefor, and I can combine it with Shadow to create Shadow Fire. But anyway, let's get back to the story, shall we?"

Spyro smiled at Cynder, and then at the whole table. Cynder wouldn't allow them to put her down or to question her, which he believed showed a great amount of strength, will, and resolve within her.

"We did find one of those parts that Malefor had left behind, underneath a waterfall. The weirdest thing was, I could _hear_ it. It was whispering, which I know sounds weird, and it really is. Soon enough, the whispering became loud and painful, and what made it strangest of all was that Spyro could not hear the whispers. When he brought the part, a crown with symbols of all the main Elements Malefor possessed, to my feet, it became more painful than ever, and then came the screeching sound. Spyro heard that one, I found, but he couldn't hear any of the other whispers, which I still wonder about to this day. I destroyed it with Shadow. When it was finally over, we left the Ruins and made our way to the surface. After being let out, we decided to make our way to the Valley of Avalar, where we hoped to meet with Mara and Hunter. The journey was hard for me, because I was still recovering from the wounds inflicted upon me, but I managed it, and Spyro helped me whenever he could, which I am grateful for. We were able to meet with Mara and Hunter not long after, and we were able to make up for past sins, as I had become angry with them after Spyro's supposed death, even though they had nothing to do with it."

Aden stopped her there respectfully by holding up his hand, and he looked over to the Cheetahs. "Would you mind taking over from here?" he asked Mara. "And confirm that they did visit you?"

"I will confirm their visit," Mara said. "But I won't continue on from this point. It is Spyro and Cynder's journey you are speaking of, and I believe only they should be the ones to tell you of it. Besides, their visit did not last long, so you would have to move on to them soon, anyway."

Aden nodded, and then looked to Spyro. "That is understandable. So…Spyro, would you mind continuing?"

Spyro nodded. "After we arrived, we told Mara and Hunter of all that had happened, and they understood why I could not tell them the reason behind my supposed death and sudden reappearance. Hunter then told us that the parts Malefor left behind weren't really 'Parts,' that they were actually Keys, and there are five of them, meaning that at the time, there were four. After that, we continued on with what we were doing, and decided to help the village. But the next day, an army arrived in the Valley, and they attacked the Cheetahs. Cynder and I fought agains them and ended them all before any real casualties could occur. Cynder was knocked unconscious by a Troll, but we were able to continue on after that, fortunately. Not long after, we decided to leave for the Temple."

Cynder was grateful to Spyro for not revealing the nightmare she had gone through after being knocked unconscious. She sighed, happy he was her mate, and that he understood her.

"When we returned to the Temple, we were forced to explain ourselves to the Guardians, who had been alarmed by my departure," Cynder continued, taking over the role of speaker. "But after we explained everything, he understood my reasoning behind it. But then, I received another vision as I looked into the Pool. It showed me my fortress once more, and that is how I knew that was where we were supposed to go next. It was where we would find the next Key. After learning this, Spyro and I made our decision, and we also decided Sparx would be going with us. So we spent another day preparing for our next departure. We went to his and Sparx's parents' home in the Swamp, where we explained to them what we were going to be doing. They understood our reasoning behind it, and so we continued on. The next morning, before we left, I went out to bathe in the Silver River, and as I bathed, I heard a voice. The voice sounded familiar, and when I realized who it was, it was already too late. I was attacked by Zyla, who came out of hiding. It was by then I realized she was the one behind it all, though I'd had my suspicions for some time. After she confirmed my suspicions, she fled before Spyro arrived. So when he did arrive, we decided it was best we leave then and there. Our flight took many hours, and it was dark by the time we reached the fortress, late in the night. Zyla was waiting for us, and she had prepared her best soldiers to fight us. She separated us with a wall of Dark Fire and threatened that if one of us attempted to get to the other, we would be instantly killed.

"So during that fight, I was wounded by one of the enemies. I was able to kill all of them that were attacking me, and taking my chance, since Zyla wanted me most of all, I flew up to the top of the fortress. Spyro joined me not long after. Zyla revealed to us everything she had done in that instant: she had kept Spyro alive as the castle crumbled, and she hid him away during our fight, where she nearly killed me. She was the one who corrupted Spyro and forced him to attack me. She then corrupted Spyro again in an attempt to kill me once again, but it failed because of our love for one another, something she could never truly understand. As a result, she tried to harm Spyro, knocking me out as I got in front of him. I was knocked out for a few minutes afterward. But when I woke, I found Spyro was having trouble fighting her. I don't know why I did it, but when I saw Zyla attempt to harm Spyro once more, I jumped at the demon and attacked her, but I mistakenly knocked us both off the top of the fortress. As we fell, Zyla broke both my wings, leaving me unable to fly up. But it was not all a loss, even though I knew there was the possibility I would die there. Using the blade on the end of my tail, I stabbed it into her heart. It was then that I realized she was one of the Keys of Malefor, and that now leaves three left, which is something I'm glad about. But it all came at a price: I fell into the sea, and I know I caused Spyro a lot of horrible pain, thinking I was gone forever, and I apologize to him even now."

Spyro looked to her and smiled at her, and Cynder knew he accepted her apology, something she was very grateful for. She was happy there was someone in her life that truly understood her. He and Ignitus definitely did.

"So how did you come to return?" asked Aden.

"I washed up on the shore of the White Isle," Cynder answered. "It was there that the Chronicler—who was our old ally, mentor, and father-figure, Ignitus—took me and nursed me back to health. I don't know how I survived the sea's currents, but something tells me Ignitus had something to do with it. But I had to wait two weeks before Spyro finally came and took me back."

"When I thought she was gone, I was very distraught. But I was able to get through it in the end," Spyro explained. "After the two weeks passed, I went to the White Isle, hoping to know quite possibly if she had passed on, and I found Ignitus there, as well as my mate, and now we're together again."

As he finished, he placed his left paw on Cynder's right paw, and they smiled at one another.

The doors behind them suddenly burst open, and a cold, clear voice cut through the air. "What a touching little story," they said. It was a female. "But that does not make up for the rage and anger you have brought me, Dragons. Especially you, Cynder."

Spyro and Cynder turned around to find a Pink Dragoness standing there. She resembled Zyla, but it was obvious it was not her. But it was easy for Spyro and Cynder to know who exactly she was: Malyf. Zyla's younger sister stood before them, and she was scowling at them. They believed she was angry at them, especially Cynder, for killing Zyla. Though it had been necessary for them to do so, Malyf obviously did not take it lightly.

"I know this might be somewhat jarring," said Malyf, "since we have never met before. But I must tell you that I am not happy with any of you present. You've all had roles in the death of my older sister, and for that I want payment."

"What kind of payment?" growled Terrador, glaring at

"Blood," Malyf replied. "Flesh and blood. _Hers_." She pointed at Cynder. "I heard of what happened to Zyla, yes. I remembered and decided that I needed my revenge. I needed to come and get my payment! Do not think your sins will not be taken issue with, Cynder! You are the main one responsible for my sister's death! I will kill you for what you've put me through!"

She reared up and released a maw of Fire with a pink hue at Cynder. She dodged, but she wasn't ready for the slap from the tail. Unlike Zyla's tail, however, Malyf's did not have a blade, and Cynder told herself just how fortunate she was as she flew into the middle of the table. She quickly got back to her feet, and she breathed Shadow at Malyf. The Pink Dragoness was unable to dodge in time, and part of her right flank was hit, burning the flesh. Malyf screamed out, cursing.

"Blast you, freak!" she screeched. She looked around at the building, then turned her focus back onto Cynder. "I see that I am too outnumbered at this very moment, but that doesn't matter for now. I'm going to return soon enough, but don't think you've won! For all I know, this might help me in some sort of way!" She laughed, and it sounded scarily like Zyla's laugh, sending shivers down Cynder's spine.

Malyf concentrated, and she released energy at all those present. The wave of energy hit the pillars that supported the courthouse. Zyla aimed to leave, only to be knocked on her side by a combined blast of Earth from Spyro and Terrador. She cried out, and, with her side bleeding from the wounds, opened her wings and flew off.

The courthouse began collapsing, and the Moles attempted to get out. One of them, however, was crushed by a falling piece of ceiling. Cynder attempted to hurry out, but then she saw the pillar in front of her falling toward her. She hoped to get out of the way, and she did, but then she felt something hit her in the back, and she groaned in pain.

She heard Spyro calling her name, and she tasted blood as her vision went black.

The sound of someone saying her name made her come to suddenly. Cynder could not open her eyes for a few minutes, but finally she was able to, and she found she was no longer in the courthouse. She was laying on a cushion in a white room. She groaned as she felt a throb of pain in one of her back legs. She heard claws clacking on a marble floor.

Spyro appeared in her line of vision, and he looked worried. But when he saw her eyes were opening, he seemed very relieved, and she smiled at him as he did the same. She wondered what had happened while she was unconscious. Had anyone else been hurt? How badly injured was she? Why was it that one of her back legs was throbbing so horribly?

"Spyro?" she asked. "What the heck happened? I remember Malyf, and I remember the collapsing courthouse, but I have no memory of what happened after that."

"That's because you were knocked unconscious when a piece of a pillar hit you," Spyro explained. "One of your back legs was broken by it, and you have a few cuts and bruises, but you're all right, other than that. Thank God that you're okay." He sighed, and looked around the room. "The Moles are speaking with the Guardians, Mara, and Hunter. None of them are angry, thank God, but we're all on the tips of our toes right now, because we don't know what the heck might happen next."

Cynder sighed. "I'm not going to blame myself," she said. "I want you to know that. It's not my fault that I killed Zyla. It needed to happen, and if Malyf is so freaking angry about, she can go screw herself. She won't dare to attack us again when I get my chance to fight her."

Spyro smiled. "I understand that you want to be ready for our next fight, but you're going to be out of it for a little while," he said to her. "Your left back leg is broken, and that'll put you out of commission for the time-being, just so you know. I know it doesn't sound like something you want, but we're just trying to help you, if you'll allow us."

Cynder looked a little disappointed, but she finally gave in. "Fine," she acquitted. "I understand your concern, because I want to be careful, too. But there's just so much going on, and I really want to help. I don't know why this had to happen, because it seemed like this was going to be such a normal day. But unfortunately, that didn't happen. I guess it can't be helped right now. We were warned about Malyf, and now there's going to be Hell breaking loose around the Realms, I'm sure."

Spyro nodded. "There's too much happening, though. If Malyf attacks Warfang, the inhabitants won't be ready. The warriors aren't going to be ready, because they won't be expecting an attack. At least, not until today. If the leader of Warfang tells them what's happening, then they might just be able to get themselves ready, though I'm not all too sure."

The doors behind him opened, and Terrador entered. He did not look very happy, and it was understandable as to why that was. But when he saw that Cynder was awake, his face softened, and he half-smiled at them, though the half-smile was grim.

"How are you feeling, Cynder?" he asked.

"I'm all right," she replied. "How are the Moles? Are they shaken up by what happened?"

"Yes, and it's unfortunate," Terrador said. "Some of them—Calla and Dashiell are two of them—believe we wanted that to happen. Yes, I know, it's a ludicrous thought, but they've been known to be superstitious their entire lives, according to Aden, who does understand what happened, and he is telling us that he'll join some of the army of Warfang with us if Malyf prepares to attack the Dragon City. Though I hope against such things, I unfortunately believe that might be what _will_ happen."

"Is there any way that we can stop that from happening?" Spyro asked hopefully.

"No," Terrador told him honestly and solemnly. "There's no way in which this can end well. We saw from the look on Malyf's face when she confronted us that she was angry, and that means she'll be back once she learns of your survival, Cynder, if she has not done so already. These are dark times, and we must be ready for what is to come."

Terrador turned and walked out of the room, leaving Spyro and Cynder alone. It was just now that Cynder realized Sparx was not in the room with them, and she wondered why that was. She relayed the question to Spyro, who smiled and said, "Terrador had him go to the Swamp and tell Mom and Dad all that's going on. They're going to be waiting for us when we get back so we can tell them all that's happened. They're likely going to be very concerned for our safety, especially yours."

"Do you really think we're going to have to go through a whole other part of this war?" Cynder asked. "Ever since Zyla returned, we had to deal with more forces of Malefor's army, and now we're going to have to deal with Malyf, who might pose even more of a challenge, possibly."

"Maybe not," Spyro said. "We've still got something Malyf does not. If she's anything like Zyla, then our love should be able to stop her in some way. You have to remember that."

"She might know what love is, Spyro," Cynder said. "Just because Zyla was stupid enough not to know what love is, or to understand it, doesn't mean that Malyf has never felt any sort of love. We have to be ready for what is to come, and it might mean that we'll have to resort to new tactics."

Spyro sighed and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Well, I'm going to go to sleep. Would you like to join me? They've set up a nice room for us. This is just a temporary room, to wait out their meeting."

Cynder nodded. She got out of the bed slowly, but gasped in pain as she put some weight on her back left leg. She remembered it was the one that had been broken by the piece of the pillar. Spyro supported her, and she slowly got down to ground level. She leaned on him as they left the room, and when they entered the hallway they saw the Guardians speaking with the Council, Mara, and Hunter. They passed by them, continuing on towards the room.

When they finally reached it after turning down another hallway, Spyro opened the door and Cynder marveled at the beauty of the room. The floors and walls were made entirely of marble, the windows were patterned with symbols Cynder guessed had been made by the Dragons when they first built the city so very long ago. The walls were adorned by tablets with the Dragons' script written—rather, engraved—upon them. Cynder wanted to take a look at them, but she decided it was time she slept.

Spyro helped her into the bed. Then he went around to the other side and jumped up into it. He snuggled up against his mate, hugging her close to him, happy she was all right, even after what had happened.

She was asleep rather quickly, and Spyro smiled. _Thank God you're safe,_ he thought.

* * *

Far from their location, Malyf looked into a Blood Pool, which she held in her palm. She whispered something underneath her breath, something only she understood. There was another who knew the language, but she was unsure of their location at the moment.

"What should I do?" she asked the Blood Pool. "The freak killed my sister, and I deserve payment, but I am unsure of what more I need to do! Please, tell me already! I cannot wait any longer!" She listened, and gasped. "But that will take too much out of me! You know how that Magic is! How dark and evil it can be! Don't you understand the problem— _ahh._ " She gasped as she felt searing pain on her back. "Yes, I will help you. Please, just don't hurt me anymore, I will do what you ask of me! Just tell me the Dark Magic, please!" And she listened again, hoping to kill Cynder before her contract was up.


	4. A New Threat

**Chapter Four: A New Threat**

"I still can't believe we have to deal with something this bad!" Cynder lamented the next morning at their breakfast in the Dragon City. "I just wanted to try and get through the next few weeks—maybe months, even—before we would have to be forced into some sort of battle!" She sighed, and took a sip of the milk from her glass. "Ignitus did tell me a little while after he saved me and helped me back to full health that there was another threat, though he didn't tell me much more than that. So I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think. I just wish this didn't have to happen."

"It could be worse," Spyro said. "At least you weren't hurt more. As much as I hate it, Malyf is wanting to kill you for killing Zyla, which we would find totally wrong, but she finds our actions morally wrong. It's all so strange, but it's something we now have to deal with." He sighed as well, and looked across the table, where Hunter was dining as well. "Hunter, would you mind passing the muffin?" he asked the Cheetah warrior, who passed it down to him without saying a word. "Are you doing okay, Hunter?"

"Yes, I am," Hunter replied calmly. "But I wish we did not have to deal with another battle. The last time we did so, we did not have to worry quite as much. But then again, it was not against Zyla herself. We do not know what will happen next. I hope it will not become like that of the battle in Kasi. I may not have been there, but that does not mean that I do not remember the aftermath of the battle and the outcome of the events…including Mara taking over, your supposed death, and more. But I'm sure there will a point in this new battle that we will be able to find a way to end Malyf. I am sure that we will win without much trouble this time around. Or so I hope." He took a long draught of the wine in his silver goblet. "This wine is strong. That is why I do not drink it much, or else it might affect it me too much." He got up from his seat and began his exit. "I will see you sometime later."

When he was gone, Spyro turned to Cynder, whom he saw had rings under her eyes, something he hadn't seen since before their last fight with Zyla. He could see already that this was all taking a toll on her, and he couldn't blame her for that, although it did concern him. _As long as you're kept safe,_ he thought, _then I won't blame myself for any of this. But that doesn't mean that I can't help but think of doing something like that. It's hard not to, especially in a time like this. I just want her to be safe. But there's too much going on, and I don't know if that's possible. No, don't think of that! You will keep her safe until this is all over. You won't have to worry about a thing. It will all work out in the end. I just know it. There's no way this will end badly. We already went through so much, so we should be able to go through it again, without much trouble. Cynder may be wounded, but that doesn't mean it'll be like last time. I'm sure this will end well for once._

Terrador entered the room, and as soon as she saw him, Cynder sighed. "What does he want?" she muttered under her breath. "I'm too tired for anything like this at the moment."

"Terrador's just wanting to help right now," Spyro told her. He noticed that something was different about her. "What's going on with you? Is your mind working differently or something? Look, I'm just trying to help."

"I know, Spyro, and I thank you for that. Thank you for all that you've done. You've done more than anyone, and I don't know how I would have gotten through all I have without you or any of the others. But as for Terrador, when I see him, I feel like there's something really bad that's about to happen. I don't know why. That feeling just hits me, and I don't know what to do about it. Do you have any idea?"

"No," Spyro said. "I know you don't want to have to deal with whatever he says, but for the time-being, we're going to have to. The Council is definitely going to need our help. We have more experience than anyone when it comes to all this crap. I know you hate it. I hate it too. Trust me, I know you very well. I know your hatred for a lot of this. I've been your mate for a while. Over a year, by now. That means I can understand you better than anyone. Please, let's just see what he wants to say, and then we can tell him what we think of it. Even if it has to do with the Council, let's just deal with it. They need help from us right now. They haven't had to deal with so much of a threat since Malefor returned."

Cynder sighed. "Alright," she said. "But don't be surprised if I start dozing off not long afterward. I haven't been able to sleep too well. It's not easy, you know? It hasn't been easy for a while, then again. I think the last time I got such a good night's sleep was the night after I returned to the Temple with you. You usually help to make everything so good for me. But it seems that not even you are enough when it comes to this horrible crap. That's just horrible, but it seems it's true! What in the name of God is this world coming to?"

Spyro smiled and stroked her cheek. "I understand that this is hard for you, but I'm going to tell you now, nothing lasts forever. Except that might change soon. Malyf will be defeated, and the peace will come. That peace will last forever. Just listen to me, because I'm telling the truth right now." He kissed her, and she returned the kiss passionately.

There was the sudden sound of a throat being cleared, and the two broke apart to find Terrador behind them. There was a stern expression on his face. "The Council would like to see you," he told them with barely any emotion in his voice, not even anger appearing. After telling them this, he walked away.

Spyro and Cynder got up from their seats and followed him out of the dining hall. When they finally arrived in another room farther down the hall, this one being large enough to hold more than a thousand, likely, the two Dragons found the Council sitting in seats around a stone table. Looking around, Spyro found no trace of Hunter or Mara.

"Hello, Spyro, Cynder," said Aden. "I do not believe you understand why we have asked you here."

"I think we do, but please, tell us," Spyro said. "I do not wish to jump to conclusions, just in case."

Aden nodded. "Wise of you, I must say," he admitted. "Anyway, the reasons behind our calling of you to come here is, as you might have already guessed, the appearance of the Pink Dragoness not very long ago. We attempted to track her down, but our party returned early this morning, with only a few things to tell us."

He nodded to Adela, who took over from there. "The search party was beaten and battered, and three had died from wounds they received. They said there had not been much sound made during the battle for some reason. All that many of them remember is the sight of blood and and evil voice, which we took to mean the Pink Dragoness. There was a search party of fifteen, and three of them died there. Five more of them have died from wounds they sustained in a battle. None of the survivors were able to give us an answer on where the Pink Dragoness has gone."

"You sent a search party to fight Malyf?" Cynder retorted. "What in the name of God were you thinking?"

"Cyn..." Spyro said warningly, but Cynder cut him off before he could say anything more.

"No, I'm saying what the truth is here, Spyro! You saw what Malyf was able to do on her own, and yet you sent a freaking search party of only fifteen without a freaking thought of what might actually happen if Malyf had an army, which she most likely did, and does! There is something wrong with you Moles if you thought you would be able to succeed!" She groaned as a headache appeared. She didn't feel as if she was going to be able to take any of it much longer. This was so stressful, and with all the stress of the last few hours alone, she wanted to find a place to lay down and sleep. "Look," she finally said after a few minutes' silence, "I know you're only trying to help, but what you did was just stupid, and I'm sorry if that offends you. Spyro and I know better than you do when it comes to...all this. Please, if you want an army to fight against Malyf and whatever forces she has, let us train them. We can help them. Just allow us."

The Moles came together and whispered amongst themselves. Cynder nursed her headache as they did this. She saw Spyro look at her with concern, and she told him, "It's just a headache. Nothing more." He bought this, and she felt good, because she was at least telling him the truth this time; not a fraction of the truth, or a complete lie.

Finally, the Moles turned back to the Dragons. Aden spoke for them all once more, as he had the last few times. "I believe you're speaking the truth, Cynder," he said. "And we understand that we need to be prepared for whatever battle is about to come. We do have an army, and while we've fought Malefor's forces before, we need someone to train them even better. You two know how it is to be out there, fighting against these monsters. You've done it so much before, and I want you to help us. We need to make sure there is no trouble when the time to fight finally comes. So will you help us in this?"

Spyro and Cynder turned to each other and stared into one another's eyes. They knew their answer automatically as they did so. So Spyro turned back and told them, "Yes. We will help to train your army. We know how it feels, to be unprepared for something bigger than you can imagine, as we've both gone through it so many times by now. But that's not going to happen again. We're going to be ready for whatever trouble comes. It won't find us. We'll find it. And we'll end it."

"Well put," Terrador said. "How large is this army of yours, Aden?"

"A thousand strong, at the least," Aden said. "I don't know if that's too much for two young Dragons to do, but—"

"They won't be alone, however," Mara's voice said. She appeared alongside Terrador, Hunter behind her. "We will help them train the soldiers, and we will be sure there are no surprises coming. This city is sacred. We already nearly lost Kasi to the other side's forces, and it is thanks to Spyro and Cynder that such a disaster was averted, though it came at the cost later that night, after the battle was ended. I will not go into specifics, as you already know it all, from our last meeting."

Adela nodded. "Yes, that is true," she said. "And we will not question further, because, as you said, we already know it. Now, how many of you are there? I believe I count seven. That would not be an even number of soldiers training under the same person."

"While there might be seven, you have forgotten something," said Spyro. "Hunter and Mara are the leaders of their own army, which is already well-trained. So that means five groups of at least two hundred soldiers. That will be easier for all of us."

Aden nodded. "Yes," he said. "That will work. I will send word to our army's leader. While he is already well-trained, I am sure that he will be needing even more for what is to happen in the coming days or weeks." He whispered something into the ears of Adela and Gregor, both of whom nodded. Then he walked off toward the door. It could be seen that he was in a rush to get to wherever he was going. As he did so, Spyro turned to Cynder and gave her a soft hug, which she returned.

"I know we'll get through this," she said. "There's a lot of terrible things that could come out of these situations, but I'm sure we'll be fine. I think that as long as we have faith, nothing bad can happen. Well, nothing too horrible at least, but—" She stopped herself before she continued. "Nevermind. We don't need to be talking about any of this. We just need to keep our minds on training the soldiers, and we can worry about the rest later."

Spyro nodded, and then kissed her. "There's too much at stake, I'll admit, but we're going to get through this. I still don't understand why everything has to happen this way, but if that's what's intended to happen, then I'm going to deal with it. Nothing lasts forever, except for the peace that will come after this war has reached its very end."

Hours later, under a hot sun, the groups had come together. The soldiers were ready to train. Spyro and Cynder stood before their group of two hundred soldiers. "Alright," Spyro called out to them. "Now, just so you know, and I'm sure you all can see this, Cynder and I cannot hold blades, as we walk on all fours. So instead of showing you what to do ourselves, we will instead call on two of you to help show the rest of you the best ways to fight. Now, who would like to volunteer?" Almost every soldier raised their hand. Spyro was surprised by this, but Cynder was not. "Okay, you right over there—" he motioned to a soldier in the front, a Mole with green eyes and golden-brown fur "—and you, all the way near the back. Do you see me? Yes, you. Come over here!"

The other Mole had blue eyes and dark brown fur.

"What are your names?" Spyro asked them.

"Sharik," answered the green-eyed Mole.

"Karn," answered the blue-eyed Mole.

"Okay," Cynder said, taking over from Spyro. "Well, Sharik, Karn, I want you both to turn to each other and bow. It's a sign of respect. Even if you don't like each other, still be respectable. It's the best thing to do." The two Moles did as she said. "Good. Now, raise your swords in front of your faces." They did so. "And now...you will spar each other. Just do it for a few minutes, until one of you decides you can spar no longer, or one of you is defeated. Do you understand me?" The Moles nodded. "Good. Now...go."

The Moles clashed their blades together. Sharik slashed at Karn, who blocked it. They hopped away from one another, hoping to get enough distance between them so they could build up enough speed and strength with their next movements and blows.

It was Sharik who began his run first. He ran as fast as he could at Karn, who wasn't expecting the speed of his opponent. Even Cynder thought about how she had never seen someone move so fast, but then retracted that thought, as she had actually seen such speed before, and that had been from Spyro and Hunter, as well as herself. She couldn't help but feel a little prideful as she thought of herself being fast, too.

When the two of them collided, their wooden blades clashed and each of them struggled to gain the upper hand. It was obvious that, despite one of them being faster than the other, neither of them was the strongest. It seemed they were both equally matched in that case.

 _They're not bad,_ Cynder thought. _Honestly, I haven't seen very many sword battles in a very long time, not since...Kasi. As well as...back then._

She was thinking of when she had been corrupted. She sighed for a moment, tired of all the past events and the old thoughts flooding her mind, but then returned her attention to the sparring match.

As Karn parried, Sharik slashed as hard as he could, nearly knocking Karn off-balance. Cynder could see he was a good fighter. She smiled a little. So long as they remained good fighters, that was all that mattered. So long as neither of them became fearful or attempted to run away from their opponent, then Cynder believed this might work even better than she had hoped.

By the end of the sparring match, Sharik lost as he stumbled backward and went sprawling onto the stone beneath him. Karn held the tip of his wooden blade to his neck. "Yield," he said.

Then the two Moles smiled, and Karn helped Sharik up.

"Well done," Cynder said. "Now, I know you can do better. I believe you both did great, but if you're going to go up against the forces of Malyf, then you're going to need to make sure you don't stumble like you did, Sharik. Understand?"

"Yes," he said. "So, would you like us to do it again?"

"Yes," she said. "Just attempt to do better than you already have. You've done swell so far, but we don't have much time, and there's still a lot of soldiers behind you. Understand me?"

Both of the Moles nodded. Then they got into their ready stances and began the sparring match once more.

From a distance, Spyro watched. He could see Cynder was doing well with her teaching. He was somewhat surprised that she was such a good coach when it came to swordplay, but then he decided that she was a fast learner.

 _That, and she's seen a lot more than I have,_ he thought. _I don't like thinking about it like that, but it's true. She's seen a lot more swordplay than I have through her years, and so she knows more about this than I do. I vow I'll make sure this battle is easier for her than the last few. She doesn't need anymore hardship. She's already gone through enough._

He felt guilt as he saw her broken leg, but knew it was best not to dwell upon it much longer. Blaming himself was not going to help him very much when the time came to fight.

He returned his attention to the two Moles sparring before him. He could now see there was a victor in the fight, as one lay in the dust, though the defeated Mole had not yielded just yet.

"Don't make it harder than it already is," the victor Mole said to his opponent. "I wanted you to win, but it seems that I have beaten you. Please, yield so that we can finish this battle. There are many more that need to be trained, you know?"

In that instant, the supposedly defeated Mole thrust his wooden blade forward, and if the blade had been made of real steel, the supposed victor would have been impaled. Instead, it drove all his breath out of him, and he had begun to sputter.

"You underestimated my power," the now-victor told his opponent. "You let your guard down when you had the chance to lop off my head and leave my decapitated body in the dust. That's pretty much suicide, you know?" He laughed.

Spyro couldn't help but smile; the victor knew what he was talking about. The defeated Mole had the chance to win, but letting your guard down in battle was a very stupid thing to do. He had done it himself. Maybe it hadn't been what many would believe to be letting your guard down, but he did.

During the battles with Zyla, he continuously let his guard down to help Cynder. That was how he thought of it, at least. It had been worth it most of the time, but it had also proven to be something he'd regretted at times. He then shook his head, thinking it had not been something to regret.

He'd only been hoping to protect his mate, who had been injured during those battles. He'd needed to protect her, or else something could have happened to her. He still thanked God everything had worked out somewhat, that despite their issues, they had been able to reunite with one another. Even despite the new threat, he felt everything was better now.

 _But there's still a lot to go through,_ he thought. _I'll have to deal with this threat, and so will she. I'll try to protect her again, but I'll do my best to protect her. I've thought this so much before, but I will make sure I stay true to that vow._

Hours later, under the hot sun, Spyro and Cynder had finished with all their soldiers, as had Hunter, Mara, and the Guardians. When it was all over, Cynder limped over to her mate and laid her head against his chest. He touched her neck and felt her sweating.

"You should go and rest, Cyn. It's done now, so we don't have to worry too much. Just go and sleep. You don't have to worry anymore. I'll join you soon. Maybe you should wash off, though. You're sweating a lot, and you need to cool down a little."

"I might do that," she said. "But I want to help you with whatever else there might be to work out with the Moles. And there's probably dinner, too, you know what I mean?" She sighed. "After that, I'll go and rest. You don't need to worry."

He smiled. "I'll try not to," he said.

* * *

 **Sixteen Hours Earlier**

The leader of the battle-group was on its way through the forest. Though Aden had not been sure where the Pink Dragoness had fled to, he'd had a suspicion, which had been the forests outside Warfang.

These forests connected with those of Avalar, although there was a great difference between them, Hereward knew. He'd been in that Realm before, and he'd seen just how beautiful they were: green, filled with life, both plant and animal, and with the great river running through it. It was a supreme beauty.

As for these forests, they were brown and shriveled and seemingly dying, though they had been in such a state since Hereward's birth. He was repulsed by the appearance, though he'd developed a small liking for it due to its usefulness as a place for peace and thinking.

"How long until we reach the destination?" asked one of his advisors.

"Wait," Hereward hissed back. "And silence! This forest is filled with enemies! We cannot give up our presence here! We must catch them by surprise, Dunstan! Do you understand me?"

Dunstan spat on the forest floor. Though he had not seen it, the sound of it was unmistakable. He'd been the leader of this squad for a decade now.

Hereward was now thinking of retiring, but he didn't know exactly how long it would be until the time became perfect for that. There was too much at stake for the time-being. He had to at least carry out this mission, and then he would give Aden the heads-up. After ten years, he needed a break. He had no family, but even so, he believed he had reasons for it. He was no more than five-and-thirty, but his past battles had taken a great toll upon him, including a limp in his right leg due to the attempt on his life four years ago, when a soldier of Malefor had broken into his squad's bunker and tried to execute him with their scythe.

The attempt was unsuccessful, with Hereward lopping the soldier's head off, but not before being slammed into the concrete wall hard enough to crack it. His knee had been shattered, and it had been believed for some time that he would never walk again.

 _Take that,_ he'd thought to those who had been plotting his downfall.

His foot crunched a large leaf, and the sound echoed through the forest. He cursed himself for his carelessness. "Blast," he whispered. He quickly took a look around, hoping there were no enemies around them, those that had been lying in wait. If there were, then he would blame himself.

There was no one, much to his great relief.

He sighed softly, and then continued stepping forward. He looked back to his squad, seeing all but Dunstan staring at him with bright faces. Dunstan was the only one who seemed angry (or something of that sort) towards him. The rest, younger soldiers in their twenties and even those of eight-and-ten, the minimum age for the enlistment.

 _There's a clearing ahead of here,_ he thought. _It's the only beautiful place in this God-forsaken place! Filled with green grass and a small brook full of clear, running water that one can drink...it's like Heaven. It's a haven for the thirsty and the weak._

That thought left a good taste in his mouth—

—which disappeared as the sound of an arrow being loosed filled the air, then sank into flesh. Something spilled out onto the leaves, sounding like water being poured.

He whirled around, seeing Leofwine with a bolt in his belly. He was gasping for air, before falling and hitting the ground.

"BLAST!" roared Hereward. "PREPARE YOUR WEAPONS! THE TIME TO FIGHT HAS COME! THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW! IF YOU TURN YOUR BACK UPON US, THEN YOU ARE NO MORE THAN A MAGGOT-FILLED, DOG-MOTHERED, YELLOW-BELLIED COWARD! STAND WITH US IF YOUR BRAVERY IS TRUE, AND KILL THESE ENEMIES WITH US! AND NOW... _ATTACK!_ "

Unsheathing his Mole-made blade, which was small to some but large to his kind, he ran forward, toward the dark beasts that had appeared before him. He slashed one's chest, his diamond-edged blade cutting through their armor, and the silver metal being stained crimson.

He lopped one's head off, and gutted another. Great growls and roars broke what had been a silent night at one time. He had little time to prepare for the giant green troll that ran toward him. He acted in reflex, succeeding in taking off a thick arm, and then thrusting the blade through the chest, where he expected the heart to be located.

And for a moment, that was what it took to defeat the beast. But as it was about to fall, its black blood cascading down the blade, something hit it, and the beast seemed reinvigorated, indigo sparks emanating from its body. Its eyes had turned from luteous to violet.

A great fist crashed into his head, and for a moment, all went black.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by his squad.

They were all dead.

Their eyes had turned to glass, and terrible wounds had torn apart their skin. Hereward could only stare for a moment, before his vision went black again.

When his eyes opened once more, he found himself surrounded by dark beasts, which were illuminated by torchlight. The area was bathed in a red light.

"One of the Moles' squad leaders," said a voice, feminine and chilling. "How great. It is good to see you here, amongst our ranks."

"Who—are—you?" Hereward forced out.

"Malyf," she replied. "I am surprised you do not remember me. I'm the reason you're out here in the first place. I am the reason another war is coming upon you and your race and all the other races. _Especially the Dragons_."

"You're the monster that attempted to kill Spyro and Cynder!" Hereward growled. "You attempted to kill our saviors!"

 _"Saviors?"_ Malyf spat. By this time, Hereward could see the Pink Dragoness, her scales glistening in the torchlight as if they were wet. She seemed calm, though she was obviously not pleased with Hereward's choice of words. "Those monsters sealed away my master! They sealed away Malefor, leaving this world to suffer the wrath of the incompetent fools that attempt to rule it! And you call _me_ a monster." She spat again, and Hereward felt it hit him. "No matter, though," she finally said. "You aren't going to be alive much longer, anyway. You have done well, I must say. Killing several of my forces without being scratched...impressive. If only it would help you now."

There was the cold laugh, and then the claws coming down.

Blood poured from the gaping wound in Hereward's neck, and he fell.

He felt no pain.


End file.
